Okra and Tomatos

I love okra - so I found this recipe and tried it out and it was really good! It makes a great side!

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chicken base (I didn't have this so just used a little chicken stock)
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is a recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Scott thinks she is the boring person on earth. He always starts snoring when I'm watching her on TV. But she can cook. I would have gagged before I ate brussel sprouts until recently but these are REALLY good!


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Green Bean Bundles

This is something I make that I don't have an exact recipe for and I'm one of those people who doesn't fully measure out everything so I'll do my best ........these are SO yummy!

Ingredients:
2 or 3 cans of whole green beans
Bacon slices
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
tsp of garlic salt

Wrap a handful of green beans in half a slice of bacon. That makes one bundle - keep going for as many bundles as you would like to have. Melt a stick of butter and stir in one cup of brown sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you would like it). Add a teaspoon of garlic salt. Pour over bundles. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Then put under the broiler for 4-5 minutes at the end. DELICIOUS!

Two Breakfast/Holiday Staples

Hashbrown Casserole

1 package frozen hashbrown casseroles
1 8 oz container sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cheddar cheese
Cornflakes

1 stick butter melted

Combine 1st 4 ingredients and put in a 9 x12 baking dish. Top with cornflakes and melted butter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sausage Balls

1 lb sausage (Jimmy Dean in the tube)
2 cups Biscuik
10 oz shredded cheese

Put everything in a bowl and mix well. It's easiest to do with your hands. Roll into balls. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (or browned well)